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When is it time to place a loved one?

June 5, 2017

"When is a good time to place my loved one in a home?" "My loved one has just been diagnosed with Dementia should I start looking now?" "I can take care of my loved one at home why would I need to place them?"

All these questions are common when families hear their loved one has dementia and all these answers vary but here is some helpful advice. First and foremost ComfortCare Homes is a good option for those struggling with dementia because it is small and a home-like setting that takes away most of the confusion and shock of transferring from home to facility instead they are transferring from home to home. The reasons why a loved one should be placed in a home can be a very long list but here are some key points. Taking care of someone with dementia can be difficult because their minds change day to day; one day they could be completely fine and they next they could think they are a different age in a different year, this can make it hard on the family member who is taking care of them. Another point is that when a family member is taking care of their loved one they are not able to spend time with their loved one as a family member but as a caregiver; imagine the loved one does not want to take their medicine, well as a caregiver they are required to give that medicine to them which puts them in a hard situation. It can also be hard for those taking care of family members not just mentally but physically; lifting family members can be hard without training and proper techniques but also taking care of someone with dementia is a full-time job so socially it makes it hard on those caregivers.

By no means do we say that families can't take care of their loved ones but we are suggesting that over time it can become difficult to keep the loved one at home. In early stages of dementia it is a good idea to keep loved ones at their original house or at a family members home but, when the family member starts to wander, when it is too difficult to keep family members at home (physically or mentally), when the loved one becomes a full assist or become a threat to their own lives then that is when you look for a home. Every situation is different but here are some examples.

The loved one diagnosed with dementia is combative every day and when they are combative they swing their arms around and as a caregiver, you are concerned they will fall and hurt themselves but you don't want to restrain your loved one. This would be a good example of them putting themselves at risk and in our homes, we would have out in-home nurse look over the medication and talk with our physician about alternatives but only after assessing the situation as to why is this person being combative.

A loved one can not fully bathe themselves correctly and can not walk without being wobbly so the caregiver has to bathe and assist the loved one with daily activities. If the caregiver is a 65-year-old woman who has fallen before and has a bad back already and taking care of an 80-year-old loved one this can be hard for them and even dangerous to both parties. In our home, we have certified staff who have been trained on how to assist people with daily activities and we have the correct equipment to lift those who can't stand.

In this situation, we will say our loved one is an 85-year-old man diagnosed with dementia who has a tendency to wander. If it is the dead of winter the loved one could get out and wander in less than appropriate clothes for the given conditions and can get lost, which could cause numerous of health problems. In our home we have severance and key codes to get in and out we also have a CNA and CMA on staff 24/7 watching over the residents.

One last example would be if a loved one has decided to stop taking all their medications and decided to stop bathing. This is a difficult situation if the caregiver is a daughter or son of the loved one this puts them in a position where they have to convince their mother or father to do something they do not want to do. This is a common situation and can be a sad one as well because this is where the caregiver is no longer a son or daughter in the eyes of the loved one but instead, they are a caregiver. In our house, it is easier for the loved one because the staff is not typically related to the resident directly so they are more likely to listen but also because the staff has been trained on what to do in the given situation.

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